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The Mirasee Ultimate Guides Contest Winners!

We’ve been running the Mirasee Ultimate Guides Contest, and we had some amazing showings from our finalists.

From entrants, we’ve asked for posts that are *the* definitive guide for WHY, WHEN, and HOW to do something related to marketing; in other words, the #1 resource that all of the Beacons in our community can bookmark and come back to again and again.

And boy, did they ever deliver!

We’ve gotten great advice on everything from shopping carts to SEO, getting along with others to mastering social media. It has been, in my opinion, one of our most valuable campaigns to date – and I want to thank each and every applicant and finalist for your hard work and insight!

We’re going to be announcing the winners just a little bit further down the page, but first, let’s review the contest rules, finalists and prizes…

What They Won and How They Won It

Winners have been judged by the Mirasee team on the basis of a mysterious algorithm that involves social engagement, quality of writing and conversation as well as a few other things that we’ll take to the grave. 😉

First prize is $750 cash in hand

Second prize is an iPad Mini

Third prize is a Kindle Fire HD

As readers, you’ve seen all of the posts we’ve accepted on the blog, and have done your part to help your favorite win by commenting, sharing, and generally letting us know who you think has produced the most exceptional Ultimate Guide.

Congratulations to the winners, finalists and everyone who participated in the Ultimate Guides Contest! This has been a great contest, and every finalist provided exceptional value for us, and for our readers.

In the comments, please let me know if you’ve got any ideas for next year’s January contest!

About Megan Dougherty

Megan Dougherty is an alumnus of Mirasee and is passionate about online education, small business and making a difference in the world. You can find out what she's up to and how side-hustles will take over the world at PayingforLife.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MeganTwoCents.

Many congratulations to the first and second prize winners! And to all the other finalists, it was a privilege to have my post in the running with yours. I am honored to have been competing alongside each one of you.

And thanks so much to everyone who took the time to comment, share, and read my post!

I was *praying* for third place, not kidding one bit. The level of competition here was wall-to-wall first class, with post after amazing post, right from the very start. I feel like that unknown singer who just won a Grammy in a field of rock stars.

There are no less than 40 people I need to thank, once I am no longer speechless. DANNY and the amazing Firepole Team — thank you for this opportunity, most of all.

Ah Jim! I am not surprised you made it to the top. I am SO proud of you my friend. 🙂 (((BIG HUGS))) I knew you could do it!

Congratulations also to Tim and Rivka. No doubt there can only be one at the top, but to put in this kind of effort, dedication and excellence – it takes a winner at heart to begin with, and you have made it through to the finish with style. Way to go! Both of you!

Applause for all nine of my co-finalists for your ridiculously useful, helpful, and fun-to-read Ultimate Guides. Every one is Kindle-worthy, and more. Tough to imagine the number of hours of effort that went into this competition, overall.

Thanks to each of you for your encouragement and support. I’m humbled by your kind words, and honored to have been a part of this competition, regardless of the outcome.

Congrats to my cousin Jim for the “applies everywhere” guide for editing! Thanks so much for this, Jim – I’ll employ it in as consistent a manner as I can! (A sentence which was edited a few times using your guidelines!)

It was a great contest, as usual, and I was so honored to be a finalist again this year and to be included in such talented company. Just the comments alone and a new fan who sent me a wonderful and kind e-mail were winning enough for me. I hope next year, I will feel the fire once again when the contest comes around. Congratulations to all who entered and especially the winners. Thank you, Firepole Marketing! Keep on keepin’ on…

As for next year’s, it’s going to be tough to top what happened here, considering how bookmark-worthy these entries were for many of us.

The best thought I have for now would be: “Epic Posts” — though similar to Ultimate Guides, Epic Posts could be highly specific topics, drilled deep. Or incredible, emotionally-moving posts showing how some key life event changed the writer’s life (ala Jon Morrow, for instance).

There’s my 2 cents. Thanks again to Megan, Danny, finalists and readers. I’m not sure I’ve ever had this much fun or learned so much during a blog-hosted contest.